


"flower on a high peak"

by lazulum



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Background NaruAn, F/M, Post-Canon, Rabits and Tori and Mao make minor appearances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-07 02:32:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13424850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazulum/pseuds/lazulum
Summary: -is how the saying goes, but what significance does the flower hold? If someone posed this question to Yuzuru, he might pleasantly suggest they climb a peak to find out themself. Inevitably, that's his own fate.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> i've been working on this thing so long i've lost track, and it's somewhat long, so i'm gonna be splitting it up into a few chapters released over a span of time. but it's all done, so! one chapter every few days. i know it's not like 20k+ long, but if i have to keep writing yuzuru i might just astral project into the game and fight him myself (and i'll lose, but hey, it's the thought that counts).
> 
> i also have to mention i will never forgive happy elements for giving us a yuzumika 5s event during the time i was writing this, and then didn't have them interact even one time. not once. i'm keeping a list of betrayals and i'm running out of space here.
> 
> anyways. i have immense, endless thanks for atla @soliari for taking the time to beta this thing and help me with ideas and also listen to my whining the whole time. as always, thanks for reading and i hope you enjoy!

With classes done for the day, Yuzuru walks through the already quiet halls of Yumenosaki, musing about what he could possibly do to kill some time. 

After being thrown out of the student council room and told to “do something else and relax,” there isn’t anything on his mind besides the archery hall. At least he could release some tension along with a few arrows, the thought of them sinking into the target satisfying enough. Deciding on that, he stops by the classroom to grab a few things first.

He doesn’t actually get anywhere past the door when Naruko exits, spotting him in the middle of the hall.

“Oh, if it isn’t Yuzuru? Sorry, I have class duty today so I was just finishing up here,” she says, smiling.

“Ah, how regretful that I wasn’t able to help you,” he says, and Naruko lets out an amused huff.

“That’s fine, since it’s my job… Anyway, can I guess you got kicked out of the student council room? You look a bit restless,” she remarks, easily seeing through him.

“Did you have something else in need of doing, Miss Narukami?” He deflects, wary. There’s a quirk to her smile like she’s scheming something, not just wanting his help to get some other work done.

“Oh, not really, all that’s left is for me to lock up soon enough. But I was going to say…”

 _Here it is_ , Yuzuru thinks, her intentions anticipated from miles away.

“There’s some laundry that’s getting taken care of outside. It’s windy out, so I worry if anything might be blown away, but I can’t go help them myself…”

“Is there something else I should be aware of in this situation?” He’s already resigned to whatever it is she seems to be planning, but the least she can do is let him in on it.

“Hm? I’m not trying to trick you about the details, if that’s what you’re implying, that’s so rude of you,” Naruko answers. He doesn’t believe her in the least.

Part of him wonders if he should just leave it be and go, since he’d find out if he went regardless. Nothing could prove too much of a challenge involving simple laundry, even some unruly wind, but Yuzuru still has a sense that he should be on guard.

“If you don’t want to help then it’s up to you, but-” The sound of her ringtone cuts her off, a text incoming, and she seems to gain some urgency when she glances at it. 

“I have to go now, but you still have some things don’t you? Could you lock up for me?” She asks, barely a question rather than a request as she hands him the room key.

Staring at the key in his hands before sliding it in his pants pocket, Yuzuru holds back a sigh from whatever this ordeal is turning out to be, but it’s not over when Naruko stops to face him before leaving.

“Oh, I forgot to say, didn’t I… Mika’s helping out with the laundry, too,” she finally tells him, accompanied by an obvious wink. He’d continue bantering with her, but she’s already gone, almost as fast as the wind for some unbearable reason. 

Of course it’s that, and of course she’s already figured him out.

\--- 

Though Naruko had mentioned the wind, it isn’t that bad. A bit breezier than normal, but since the sun is still up, it could only help in drying everything that much faster. As Yuzuru makes his way to the laundry area, he thinks that he can still change his mind, can still turn around to go and change for the archery hall and spend his free time there instead.

Why he listened to her he’s not sure. There’s no invitation from Mika herself, and it’s probably unnecessary to show up and offer his assistance after being told to rest in the first place. Too bad that reasoning doesn’t stop his footsteps in any capacity. It’s not much longer until Yuzuru reaches his destination, and it appears to be alongside an especially strong gust of wind.

While the two standing Rab*its kids manage to cling safely to the sheets they’re tending to, Mika’s is tossed over the line above her. It causes her to stumble back, akin to a leaf in the wind and Yuzuru supposes it’s some twist of fate that he’s there at that moment. He’s almost perfectly in position to catch hold of the wind-blown sheet as Mika lands ungracefully on her ass.

“Y-Yukkun!? Ya scared me,” Mika yells afterwards, more focused on his arrival than her fall as she sits back up, turning to look at him.

“Be careful not to let the wind take you, Miss Kagehira,” he warns with a teasing smile, and she laughs slightly, embarrassed.

“I dunno if I can promise that.”

A different kind of comment swirls in his mind to say, but it’d be best to hold off on anything too brazen in front of company.

“I guess not,” he ends up responding, but now Mika’s distracted in getting up and brushing dirt off of herself.

“A-Are you okay?” Hajime asks, with Tomoya peeking over to see and echoing the same sentiment, worry on his face. 

“Ah, yeah s’alright,” she waves over at them, before turning back to Yuzuru. “So what’re ya over here fer, Yukkun?”

“I found myself with nothing to do, and ran into Miss Narukami who suggested I offer my help to you.”

“And ya listened ta her?” Mika asks, sounding somewhat incredulous.

“It does seem like you have everything… under control,” he says, holding out the sheet back to Mika. She takes it, but doesn’t wait much longer in staring back at him, doubtful.

“Don’t think I can’t sense yer sarcasm, ‘cause I can. But… d’ya really wanna help out here? Don’tcha have yer master or the archery club or whoever that ya could be with instead?” There’s still a pout on her face, and her concern about this is cute.

“I appreciate the thought, however, there are no other matters which require my immediate attention.”

It’s more or less a genuine statement, and Mika seems to accept it. Turning around, she airs the sheet out and tosses it over the line again.

“If yer gonna help out, then ya can go sit over there with Mitsuru to fold stuff,” she orders, not sparing another glance. When he turns, Mitsuru is waving energetically from his spot on the ground, and Yuzuru notices the basket beside him is filled with laundry already folded, albeit sloppily.

“Hm, Miss Kagehira-”

“Oh, and drop that stuffy talk! I told ya before, didn’t I, just call me Mika or somethin’,” she interrupts, turning back to face him. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Miss Kagehira,” he starts regardless, earning a pointed look from her, but she doesn’t interrupt now. “I feel it would be better for you to rest and fold while I hang the rest of the laundry-”

“What, d’ya think I’m frail or somethin’- don’t answer that!” She cuts off when Yuzuru opens his mouth, then crosses her arms at him. “I know I’m still havin’ ya do work, but s’only ‘cuz ya asked fer it. I think ya should take a rest from bein’ a servant sometimes.”

As always, Mika’s troublesome to deal with, and Yuzuru remembers the main reservation he should’ve considered when walking here. She isn’t saying anything revolutionary, but he can’t be bothered to argue, and so resigns himself to sitting with Mitsuru. Redoing the messed up folding is something to do still, even when he can’t spare being entertained as Mika continues to have some trouble with the wind.

His attention is ultimately distracted when he realizes the basket of yet to be folded laundry, initially hidden on Mitsuru’s other side, is holding a different kind of nuisance. It’s almost amazing how unbothered Mitsuru is, now moving on to talk to his unitmates since Yuzuru has all but taken over the folding. More than that, it worries him that it’s such a non-issue that he hadn’t even been alerted by Mika.

Allowing himself a deep sigh, Yuzuru finishes folding one more thing before confronting the issue.

“Dare I ask… why is Master Sakuma sleeping in this basket?”

Suddenly, the fake-vampire stretches out, as if he sensed he had been spotted and survival instincts brought him back to life.

“Dare I ask… why I’m being woken up,” Ritsu mimics, reaching out for one of the sheets just folded by Yuzuru to toss back on himself, trying to find some amount of cover from the sun.

“Ah, Ritsu is just accompanying us,” Hajime says, laughing while trying to provide an excuse, but on the contrary both Tomoya and Mika look annoyed. 

“Yeah yeah, he was helping fold laundry! Well, he mostly slept, but I’m not any good at folding either, so I’m glad that Yu-chan showed up,” Mitsuru explains, also laughing, but much less awkward than Hajime.

“I can hear you gossiping about me… Forget I exist and you won’t have any troubles,” Ritsu cuts in, his voice somewhat muffled from under the sheets.

“That just sounds like some kind of roundabout way to make us feel bad...” Tomoya comments, exasperated. “Why did that troublesome guy come along with you, Hajime? Not that he’s causing too much of a problem otherwise, but...” His arms are crossed, brows furrowed, and he seems at a loss until Mika jumps in. 

“Hey, Yukkun, I’m sorta worried Ritsu’ll bite or cling t’me if I get too close, but throw him outta the basket if ya can,” Mika suggests, and Yuzuru is almost too happy about the prospect.

It doesn’t take long for Ritsu to sit up with the apparent threat that Yuzuru is causing to his sleeping spot and general well-being.

“You didn’t even ask nicely,” he complains, almost completely deadpan, but the only one with any sympathy is Hajime, who mostly seems more apologetic to everyone involved.

“It’s common sense that you should refrain from sleeping on clean laundry,” Yuzuru attempts, and Ritsu just seems bored.

“But clean sheets are meant to be slept on, aren’t they? That’s more common sense.”

Yuzuru blinks. 

“I would love to have a riveting philosophical debate about this with you, Master Sakuma, but I’d prefer it if you stood up first before we continue.”

Yuzuru’s expression is ominous rather than cheery like a smile would suggest, and Mika sighs behind them. Luckily, Hajime interjects before Ritsu can say anything else to instigate more conflict, and Tomoya wrangles Mitsuru to help finish up with the last of the laundry still hanging on the line. 

Meanwhile, Mika taps Yuzuru on the shoulder to get his attention, barely dragging him away from the situation to help organize some other things. When they’re about finished, they start heading back to the main school building.

“Sorry about that, Yukkun, Ritsu easily riles ya up, huh?”

Yuzuru shakes his head, answering, “Only in the case that he’s causing you trouble, Miss Kagehira.”

“Well, it wasn’t just Ritsu causin’ me trouble this time,” she responds, a slight grin on her face.

“Surely you aren’t implying I’m part of the problem as well?”

“Mm, ya kinda are,” Mika answers.

They reach one of the doors to go back inside, Yuzuru opening it for Mika as she speaks.

“Is that so, Miss Kagehira?”

“Y’know, I’m j-just buggin’ ya!” She backtracks in an unsurprising retreat. Though they go inside without interruption, Mika walking ahead of Yuzuru, he stops afterwards, and so she does too, delayed a second before turning back to face him.

“Yes, I gathered that much...” He begins, then takes a step towards Mika, closing the short distance between them to stop just in front of her.

“... But I also sense you’re taking me too lightly.”

She might’ve gotten the instinct to take a step back, but she doesn’t, her gaze locked with his, mouth hung in surprise and only managing to break out of it when Yuzuru reaches his hand towards her face.

“Y-Yukkun, what’re ya-?” Her cheeks are bright red, and he takes a kind step back, showing off a crumbled leaf between his forefingers.

“Sorry to disturb you, I hadn’t noticed this caught in your hair until just now.”

“That… That’s not the point!” She complains, still flustered with her hands clenched at her sides. Yuzuru wonders how else he should tease her.

Feigning ignorance, Yuzuru blinks. “What’s the point then, Miss Kagehira?”

The pout on Mika’s face is endearing enough, but at the same time it’s too easy. As she tries to put together some sufficient explanation, he keeps his gaze intently on her, noting specks of gold and brown in her eyes before being forced to divert his attention back to the actual situation. 

“Th-that…” She mumbles, turning her head away. “Nevermind, s’nothin’.”

Her thoughts are written right out on her face with her still blushing, but there’s no chance left for him to contemplate when Mika changes the subject.

“Nevermind, it’s fine, ya don’t gotta listen ta me. It’s gettin’ late already, yer master’s still here right? If ya wanna go then ya can,” Mika offers, and Yuzuru shakes his head, stepping away for them to continue walking down the hall.

“I am here because I was relieved of my duties for the afternoon, but that’s not all,” he starts cryptically, and she glances over at him.

“What issat s’posed ta mean?”

“Well, I’m also here because Miss Narukami volunteered me to help you.”

“Oh yeah, ya said that before… ya’d think she’d leave me be when she’s goin’ off on a date with Anzu-” Mika cuts off abruptly, as if she wasn’t supposed to spill a secret, except it isn’t exactly a secret, and Yuzuru laughs with some amusement.

“And of course, I’m here because I chose to accept being volunteered,” he finishes, and now they’re in front of their classroom. Yuzuru takes out the room key since it’s about time he locked it, and he looks over towards Mika. “Is there anything you need before I close the room for the night?”

“Eh, nah, but wasn’t that Naru’s job today?”

“As you said, she had an important date to attend to and left it to me,” he explains, and Mika grins at their little joke.

“S’almost like a date means they’re goin’ out, even though they keep sayin’ they’re not. I swear I’ll get one of ‘em to admit it,” Mika declares with relative seriousness. 

For some reason- maybe it’s the topic, or the way her expression is bright, mismatched eyes sparkling towards him, or a combination of these things- Yuzuru feels the need to direct his attention elsewhere, focusing back on the door and shutting it with a hard click.

Mika doesn't let his attention stray for too long.

"Oh, and y'keep sayin' it all this time, but... I meant it when I asked ya ta call me Mika. Even if ya keep bein' all polite with everythin' else."

He's not sure how to place the look on her face, but her unhindered grin is interrupted for a moment, voice traveling lower for a moment before she coughs, correcting it.

"If that's what you wish, then, Miss Mika."

Thankfully, her grin comes back with even more force, enough to pull at him.

It was definitely a mistake to listen to Naruko.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand it's second chapter time. i don't think recent changes in canon messed with some of the accuracy in this too much, but well, enstars barely knows it's own canon so i think i'm good. also, fic is fic, and in the grand scheme of things i'm messing with canon way more than a small detail or two. anyways, enjoy!

Despite the quiet calm of the early morning, there’s an audible groan and then smack of a desk in the handicrafts’ club room. 

Mika’s lying her head down on the table, struggling to find the energy to fill out one of her unit’s needed paperwork when there’s a quiet knock, and Anzu pokes her head in.

“Oh, Mika,” she says with some surprise, but Mika doesn’t move from her position of anguish. “You aren’t eating poorly still, are you? It’s not even time for class.”

As Anzu chides her, Mika finally reacts, raising her head with a slight pout. She has no actual response, resting her head back down to continue pouting about Anzu stumbling on this unsightly scene. Then again, when has Mika ever really showed her much of a good side.

If anything, Anzu’s seen more of her bad points than her good points, and the thought makes her want to whine even more.

“... Eatin’ fine,” Mika finally mutters, and Anzu pauses from where she’d started to rustle around searching for fabric.

“That’s good to hear, but that means something else is bugging you- ah, are you having trouble with this?” Anzu walks over, plucking the paper from under Mika’s arm.

“Hey, what're ya-”

“I’m a producer, I can help you, right?” She prods, smiling, and Mika grabs the paper from her and turns away again, hiding it underneath her arms more securely.

“Y’already do enough fer everyone. Well, not as much this year since they got more producers, but... This’s my job as unit leader.”

Anzu leans back, putting her hands on her hips and sighing. “Can’t you at least ask Souma…?” 

There’s no getting anywhere with how stubborn Mika is, though, and Anzu backs off, returning to her initial course of action. 

It takes a few moments for Mika to relax, but she finally sits up to glance over at whatever Anzu’s doing. 

Something about this situation, the sunlight from outside not quite strong yet, the faint sound of birds chirping through the window, and Anzu smiling as she straightens back up, having found what she was looking for- it’s already nostalgic. They barely had a year together, and not even that much after Mika’s attempts to shut her out for so long, and now they barely have another year left. She doesn’t want to lose any of it, regardless of how difficult being a student idol and putting everything together can be-

“... Mika? Mikaaa?” Is the next thing she hears, Anzu waving a hand in front of her face. “You’re spacing out, are you sure you told me the truth? Did you really eat? Don’t make me put you on a meal plan-”

“I told ya, I’m fine! If it was that, my tummy’d be makin’ noises, wouldn’t it? Yer fussin’ so much, are ya tryna be my mom?”

After being interrupted, Anzu freezes at Mika’s outburst, then covers her mouth laughing. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I won’t bring it up until I hear your stomach rumbling.”

“But if it’s stress over your responsibilities-” Anzu pauses, pointedly glancing towards the paperwork peeking out from under Mika’s forearm, “- then I’ll be fussin’ over that instead.”

“Nnah, I don’t wanna say it,” Mika whines, but it’s no use. If Mika’s stubborn, Anzu’s even more so, in a tricky way where she knows when and how far to push. The expression on Anzu’s face is far too joyful, her smile widening as Mika eventually caves, tossing herself back on the table after what’s barely a struggle.

“I was just thinkin’... ‘bout how it’s our last year. Just dumb sentimental stuff.” 

She turns away from Anzu after mumbling most of her explanation. Anzu’s smile dampens in understanding, and then picks right up again when she pats Mika hard on the back.

“C’mon now, it’s only summer. You can’t be a crybaby about this so soon like it’s gonna end tomorrow,” Anzu says, humming. The way she says it isn’t all that convincing, the unspoken amendment that with the way time passes, it may as well be tomorrow. Mika can sense the fact of it behind her soft smile, in the way a comfortable silence falls between them.

She doesn’t let it continue for long, standing up and grabbing the paper.

“I know yer just gonna keep bugging me, so I’ll go ask fer help from Souma or Naru or someone else,” Mika starts, then smiles at Anzu’s annoyed expression afterwards. 

An idea then pops up in her head almost immediately, a bit too teasing, but it’s not going to stop her.

“Hm, d’ya not want me ta ask Naru fer help ‘cuz ya’ve got some plans of yer own? I guess it’d be a real problem if ya had another date but I was takin’ up her time.”

“Wh-what? When did you- how’s that relevant?” Anzu sputters, then appears to gain some sense of her overreaction and leans over to pinch Mika’s cheek. Mika just grins, no regret whatsoever. It also helps that Anzu should’ve known better than to expect something like a pinch to deter her. 

“I dunno what yer deal is but the two a’ ya- Maybe I shouldn’t worry any, but, I support ya both.”

Anzu looks like she can't believe what she’s hearing, and shakes her head with a frown.

“It’s not like that, you know…”

To some extent Mika expects more of a fight from Anzu, more annoyance at her meddling, but now all they have is an awkward silence. She almost regrets it, but at the same time she knows that they can’t keep this up forever. Despite how little it feels like her place to interfere, it’s too bad she’s an idiot who cares way too much about two other idiots. 

“... Go focus on whatever it is yer doin’. I don’t wanna get in yer way,” Mika finally says, effectively ending the conversation. She turns to leave, pushing the door open. 

“... If you still need help later, I’ll be here for you to ask.”

Mika thanks her, shutting the door behind her. Anzu doesn’t object or say anything else, and walking down the hall Mika clenches her hand, trying not to crumple the paperwork even further.

\--- 

“This is wrong… another mistake… this makes no sense, ugh, useless! Don’t any of these people know how to read basic directions?!”

As Yuzuru walks into the student council room, Tori’s diligently working away according to her new responsibilities. It’s amusing to see her take up this mantle, though Mao is still very much the current president. Yuzuru would be lying if he said he didn’t find it a bit lonely, but they all have to grow up sometime.

Well, ‘growing up’ is a subjective term, since Tori gained seniority and isn’t shy about it. They have a new first year that she happily gets to boss around. At the same time, she isn’t about to let the ‘underling’ take all of her purpose there, as she so graciously proclaimed for the world to hear.

The fact of it amuses him much more with how their new recruit manages to spin Tori around using clever praise, and maybe she should realize she’s getting manipulated, but he’ll let her figure it out in her own time.

Unlike the other day, Yuzuru arrives at the archery hall without interruption. There’s total silence as he steps across the floor, and everyone else must be busy for now, but it’s nice to have some time and space to be alone and clean before starting on actual club activities.

Settling into routine, he smiles absentmindedly as he starts on one side and works his way horizontally, completely engrossed for an amount of time that he doesn’t bother keeping track of. 

When he’s about half done, Yuzuru stops to take a break, glancing up at the sky to see that the clouds seem to be darker than when he had looked earlier. Just as he thinks that it might rain, there’s a noise from somewhere nearby.

It’s a familiar voice, and Yuzuru almost laughs at himself thinking it might be some a mistake, but- unexpectedly a cat he’s never seen before shows up out of nowhere, padding easily over the archery hall floor with dirty paws.

The source of the voice isn’t far behind, and he accepts it as reality when Mika barges in calling for the cat, then immediately freezes when she sees him.

“Ah… ah! Yukkun!” She yells, surprised while the cat walks towards Yuzuru and rubs against his leg before continuing to roam, leaving faint pawprints behind. 

“Sorry ‘bout this, I was gonna head home but this kitten here was walkin’ around, and doesn’t seem ta have a collar or anythin’, then she ran over this way ‘n-”

“Please take a breath, Miss Mika,” Yuzuru interrupts, and she catches herself. The cat seems comfortable now, lying in a corner of the hall, almost proud in leading some foolish human to some random place. She’s big, but not in the same league as the one he knows as ‘Little John’. It’s more the fact of having a decently fluffy coat, all grey, made all the more poofy with humidity hanging in the air, and she may as well be a raincloud herself. 

“I’m really sorry fer this,” Mika tries again, looking back towards Yuzuru from where she’s now managed to sit and pet the thing that had been running from her just moments before.

“There’s no need for apology. Though, it does seem like it’s going to rain soon, so it might be best for you to stay here under shelter,” he remarks, and that reminds her of the weather, causing her to glance up at the clouds.

“It really seems like it, huh, I didn’t even bring an umbrella,” she says, almost offhand, scratching the cat’s chin while it leans into her hand and purrs, tail swaying lazily.

“I can share one with you on your way home, if you wish,” he offers with a too-nice smile, and Mika stares at him before focusing back on the cat.

“I don’t need a service like that. Some rain ain’t gonna melt me.”

“It might not melt you, but you could still catch a cold in this weather.”

“I won’t catch a cold that easy,” Mika frowns, apparently willing Yuzuru to drop the topic already.

“You never told me that you’re capable of seeing into the future, Miss Mika. That’s awfully talented of you.”

“Well, I never told ya that yer kind, either.”

“I’m certainly learning many things today. So, what time would you want to leave if it rains?”

Mika seems to realize her best bet in combatting Yuzuru is silence, and he accepts his fun for the moment. She can’t keep maintaining it, he knows. 

When he stretches and heads over to grab his bow sitting on the sidelines, Mika suddenly becomes very interested, and the cat is offended but pretending not to be when she moves her out of her lap.

“Are ya gonna shoot a few arrows?” She asks, scooting closer, and Yuzuru can’t help smiling to himself.

“I already spent an adequate time cleaning some of the hall, though it’s in a worse state than it was before,” he mentions pointedly. Mika grins ruefully at him. “But I do take joy in cleaning, so it barely matters. To answer your question, yes.”

He supposes he should be more embarrassed about the prospect of showing off to Mika, but really, he can’t be bothered when her full attention is on him, now awed to the point where it feels like sparkles are going to show in her eyes at any moment. 

Keeping in mind to be graceful and measured, he picks out an arrow, taking a breath, then smoothing out into proper shooting form. Annoyingly, he misses his mark by too much of a margin. Usually hitting the center is a relatively effortless affair, and of course he has to lack in ability as soon as Mika’s here to watch.

Prepping the next arrow, he focuses more seriously and dispels his annoyance as it hits close enough to where he intended.

“Ya look so cool, Yukkun. I don’t think I could even hit the edge a' the target,” she says, and he relaxes his stance and turns towards her.

“I could teach you how to get into form. Though you aren’t in the archery outfit, so you might have a differing feel of it,” Yuzuru says, and Mika’s mouth falls open slightly in deliberation, but she shakes her head.

“As cool as it’d be ta shoot an arrow like in a zombie game, I think I’d just hurt someone or somethin’ or myself even. Well, not that I’d feel it, but an arrow in my foot’s no joke,” she answers, laughing about it. Yuzuru looks at her strangely for… most of what she just said, and Mika’s quick to turn defensive.

“W-what’s wrong with ya? Are ya mad I don’t wanna let ya teach me archery?”

“No, not at all. If that’s the case, I’d rather not risk injury or death.”

Mika grumbles about being made fun of, then turns back towards the cat again. She seems significantly less interested after being discarded in favour of Yuzuru, but warms up quickly again to the reality of getting pet, and Mika hums in satisfaction.

“By the way…” Yuzuru starts, though Mika’s the one putting on a show of ignoring him now. “What do you plan to do with this cat? Does it have a name?”

She slows down to a stop, still not looking up at him, and then resumes scratching the cat’s neck.

“I dunno…” she admits, her tone sadder than Yuzuru was expecting. He wonders if something else is troubling her.

Regardless, if she intended on getting attached to the cat then this is worth asking about.

“I feel like I should hang posters around the neighbourhood, y’know, but she’s prob’ly a stray. But whether she is or isn’t, I need some place fer her ta live,” Mika explains.

Many answers run through Yuzuru’s mind, half of them insensitive, most of them likely to be rejected by Mika even if they aren’t. He kneels down beside her to reach a hand out towards the cat, and Mika starts to object, but stifles it.

“I didn’t think ya were much of an animal person,” she comments. The cat sniffs at Yuzuru’s fingers, then rubs against them, and he looks back at her to scratch her chin more.

“It’s true I still don’t do well with dogs, but it’s not as if I hate every animal.”

She’s still watching him cautiously, but relaxes after a minute. Yuzuru can feel the barest amount of her weight against his side, and he tries not to tense in reaction, or let his thoughts get carried away. 

“I don’t feel it appropriate to intrude on your private life, but I assume you can’t bring her to where you’re currently living?” Yuzuru asks, and Mika nods an affirmative. He closes his eyes, thinking of any possibilities, and he decides there’s no helping at least suggesting some solutions, even if they’re ones Mika is too stubborn to accept.

“She may just be missing a collar and has an owner nearby. I think the best course of action would be to bring her to a vet.”

Mika looks ready to argue, but then she seems to remember something, her expression brightening as she opens her mouth. 

“Wait, Naru has two cats. I bet if it’s important like this she’d be fine lookin’ after this one too, so long as it’s only fer a little while until I have time ta search if the owner’s ‘round here,” she goes on, sounding like she stumbled on a huge breakthrough.

Feeling bad, Yuzuru takes a moment, pretending to digest her reasoning. “... Miss Mika, do you really want to bother Miss Narukami with this?”

Mika's confidence lasts only another moment before her face falls.

“Ah… yer right,” she responds, deflated. “Maybe I was just thinkin’ I could have some responsibility with this one, and go on a grand search and all, but it’s probably better ta visit the vet like ya said.”

Her expression breaks through from dejection to annoyance when Yuzuru laughs, and when he says, “I’m glad you see it my way,” she elbows him. 

“I dunno why I talk t’ya when yer always so rude,” she grumbles, crossing her arms over her knees, and Yuzuru pauses. 

Thanks to a barely there breeze, he notices a small drop of rain land on his cheek, and then he spots another land on the outer edge of the wood floor, then another until it’s fully raining out. It isn’t quite a downpour, but the rain is coming down heavily enough.

“D’ya think it’ll go away before it’s time ta leave…?” Mika asks, but it doesn’t sound like she’s particularly asking him.

“That seems unlikely. It’s surprising that I haven’t heard from Young Miss about leaving yet, though,” Yuzuru answers anyways, reaching for his phone to see no new messages. “Perhaps this is what it feels like when a child grows up.”

“That’s kinda weird, Yukkun, Tori isn’t yer child?”

“That may be true, but I feel a sense of guardianship over her, regardless. It is my place, after all.”

Mika hums at that but says nothing else, staring off into the rain.

By then, the cat had already wandered to sit on the edge of the hall, inspecting the rain before realizing she doesn’t appreciate it. She moves back to lie down again, nowhere near the offending drops of water. It makes it seem like they’re sitting in the middle of the floor for no reason now, and as Yuzuru thinks to stand back up and put his bow away, he feels the actual weight of Mika’s head on his shoulder.

He’s only able to see the top of her messy hair when he tries to glance over, and while he wants to hold steady like he’s skilled at, the unexpected development is testing him.

“S’alright if I borrow yer shoulder, Yukkun?” She mumbles, soft, and he accepts being under her sway even if just for a little while. There really must be something else troubling her, since he knows that there’ve been times where she was dealing with more obvious stress, but never stooped to asking for his assistance. Miss Narukami is a different story since they’re much closer, but…

“My shoulder is not a replacement equal to a pillow, but by all means.”

A second later she pulls away, shaking her head. 

“Mm, sorry s’just… I’m kinda tired. That was embarrassin’ of me,” she says, standing up and stretching. “I dunno what just got into me, can ya forget that Yukkun?” 

She faces him, and though it looks like she’s trying to shake it off, Yuzuru isn’t fooled since her expression is mirroring the weather.

“To erase my memories you’d have to provide payment,” he responds, and Mika frowns at him, not happy in the least.

“Eh, pay ya, how much? Wait, I’m not payin’ ya fer somethin’ like that. If ya wanna tell the whole school then y’can go ahead,” Mika crosses her arms, indignant. She turns away from Yuzuru over to where the cat is lying, tail swishing as she looks over at them coolly.

“I’m sure it won’t matter to many people, but maybe Miss Narukami would take an interest? I fear you’d never hear the end of it,” Yuzuru muses with faux concern, but it manages well enough. Mika’s paused with her back still to him, but he knows he’s pretty much got her convinced.

“... Do I gotta pay with money?”

At times Mika is impossible to gauge, and at others she’s the easiest person on earth to read and twist around.

“Nothing of the sort. I just want to hear out your troubles,” Yuzuru offers, but Mika’s still cautious. Her shoulders are tense, arms crossed, but she looks back him.

“It’s nothin’, Yukkun, just a moment of weakness fer me.”

All Yuzuru does is stare at her, and Mika visibly squirms before uncrossing her arms and conceding defeat.

“M’kay, fine, it’s- not just unit work, y’know, I’m used ta that kinda stuff. I have lotsa experience workin’ without much energy and everythin’, no matter what’s goin’ on, and-” She cuts off, taking a breath, and her voice quiets before she continues.

“Naru and Nazuna helped me arrange somethin’... like, I can’t keep relyin’ on Mentor forever if I wanna be a proper idol and an adult, eventually. I gotta stand on my own, so… I’m movin’ out.”

Instead of the simple task that was the issue of this unknown cat, it seemed Yuzuru stumbled on something far more intimate, not that he could complain since he essentially blackmailed it out of her. If it wasn’t the resilient, stubborn, weird girl known as Mika Kagehira in front of him, he would’ve taken more care to avoid such an issue like this.

Maybe it was better left to others closer to her to take care of this, but the fact that she's confiding in him- he couldn’t discount himself from the equation too much.

“That's impressive of you,” Yuzuru offers, barely helpful, but it’s not as if he knows what to say, or if it’s even his support she needs. 

With her mouth settling into a thin line, Mika has no immediate reply. There’s only the sound of pattering rain, and the cat returns Mika’s gaze when she looks back at her, only to then slowly blink.

He wonders if she regrets it and wants to drop the topic, until she finally speaks. At first it’s only his nickname, so quiet that he almost misses it, and a pause before she continues.

“Mentor’s… already workin’ on stuff after graduation, and Nazuna’s off ta university, and it’s got me thinkin’ ‘bout our future more than I woulda… There’s nothin’ all that impressive. S'just the natural flow a' life, and my resolve.” 

It’s Yuzuru’s turn to have nothing to respond with, and he internally questions what the point of worrying about all this even was, if she seems to have what she wants figured out. That’d be a lie, though, when the girl now crouched in front of him, petting a stray cat she just found, is basically the poster child for ‘disaster’. If he thinks too much about it, her words are aimed solely at herself, like if she said it enough it’d spur her into action. But still, he can’t deny her strength. 

Taking another look at the sky, Yuzuru feels some of his own resolve shaping, nothing grand, but there nonetheless. He walks over towards Mika, extending a hand. She looks about to reject it, moving to jump back up.

“The rain doesn’t seem like it’s about to let up anytime soon, so will you accept an escort home?” He asks, and Mika stares at his hand, then up at him like he just spoke an alien language.

“Wh-what about the cat?” She asks in return, and Yuzuru sighs internally.

“I assume we should try to find a way to transport her safely, first,” he proposes, and Mika nods.

“I didn’t want to offer us taking care of it, but that may be the most convenient solution at the moment… And by the way,” he starts, a realization hitting him.

“How can we transport her if she runs away first? As well, stray cats can carry diseases and be fairly dangerous, actually-”

Mika cuts Yuzuru off to defend the cat’s honour. In their banter, Mika reaches down to pick the cat up, only for her to run away again, back the way they initially came in.

Frozen in surprise for only a second, Mika doesn’t take long running after it. Yuzuru glances at his phone again to see that Tori still hadn’t messaged him, and he considers waiting another moment before following Mika, an obvious trail when he can hear her voice close enough in the distance. If anything, he would rather avoid her catching a cold or getting hurt somehow, and once again he resigns himself to getting caught up in her pace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will be posted on friday, and as a hint there'll be a major shift. see you then~


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here it is! chapter 4 will be posted this monday.

When the next day comes, Yuzuru can’t escape Naruko bringing up the situation from the night before. 

They (mostly Yuzuru) had managed to catch the cat in the rain, taking her over to Naruko’s house since it was already close, just for her to tell them that she belonged to a neighbour who let her roam where she wished. While Mika was filled with relief despite their soaked condition, Yuzuru isn’t one to let danger pass by unnoticed, and if the twinkle in Naruko’s eye was any indication, then… he had more meddling situations in his future.

“So,” Naruko begins, directed at Yuzuru, sliding her phone out of her pocket. “I have something to show you.”

It’s already lunchtime, so there’s plenty more opportunity for her to wreak some havoc against him, and Mika pops out from her seat to join them, seeming apprehensive. 

“Are ya gonna bug Yukkun with that thing too?” She asks, almost tormented, but Naruko’s obviously having the time of her life.

“Bug him? This is a super rare gift, a privilege, you know,” she says, smile bright and menacing at the same time. “Anyways, Yukkun, pay up. 1000 yen.”

Anytime in the day is too early for a headache, but this one is a specific kind that’s unnecessarily bothersome.

“Pay up for what, exactly?” Yuzuru asks, effectively taking whatever bait it is that she’s dangling, but what could there be to lose. He would soon regret that thought.

Tapping the phone against her chin in deliberation, Naruko takes a few seconds of thought before a mischievous grin crosses her face. “Well… if you really want to know, I can tell you, but then it’ll cost you 10000 yen.”

Instead of complaining more, Mika’s already given up, slumping back into her seat just behind them. He catches her giving him an apologetic look as she does, though. At least it’s easy to figure out that this involves her, and is probably something Naruko has stored on her phone. He doesn’t have to be a genius to assume it’s either a picture or video.

In the background, the other annoyance known as Ritsu is offering his input in chuckling at the scene in front of him, and Yuzuru thinks he shouldn’t let this drag on much longer before Ritsu feels the need to involve himself too. He probably already knows what it is, either from the same deduction or actually having seen it. Either way, it doesn’t matter because he isn’t one to fall for Naruko’s ruses that easily.

“It’s quite unfortunate I don’t have any money on me at the moment, so I’m afraid I’ll have to decline your kind offer,” Yuzuru answers, and though Naruko immediately lapses into disappointment, she’s obviously not as bothered as Mika is at Naruko’s goading.

“If that’s the case, then you could consider it a loan and pay me back later. Interest free!” She counters, and he finds it funny that she insists on a measly 1000 yen payment, but very plainly wants to show him whatever is so important. Not wanting to be distracted from lunch any longer, Yuzuru accepts his fate despite the overwhelming triumph he can feel exuding from Naruko as she holds out the phone for him to see.

It’s unlocked and already open on a picture.

“I’ve never seen you in casual clothes before, Miss Mika,” is all Yuzuru remarks, and Naruko does very little to hide her expectations.

She reclaims her phone from Yuzuru’s grasp, tapping easily through the apparent many pictures in her phone, asking, “Don’t you think she’s pretty? Ooh, this dress was the nicest,” before holding it up to let Yuzuru see again.

By now, he would’ve expected Mika to jump back into action, and even if not embarrassed, at least offering some kind of commentary. Still, she only has her head turned off to the side, silently listening.

Yuzuru focuses on what Naruko’s trying to show him, though maybe it’s better he didn’t; it’s taken from Anzu’s perspective, Naruko hugging Mika, both of them matching in the same summery white dress, with Mika clinging to Naruko’s arm around her front. She looks bashful rather than uncomfortable, a slight smile accompanying the blush on her cheeks.

“Both of you look quite stunning,” he admits, and Naruko takes the phone back, finally appeased with his reaction and nodding in agreement.

Almost immediately after, Mika jumps back in, coming alive from where she seemed like she’d stay frozen like a statue if she kept it up. “E-eh, what? I do? Naru always looks pretty, but I think yer just tryna flatter me,” she says, voice rising, then freezes and hides her head in her arms again.

She doesn’t stay that way for long since Ritsu’s existence in itself is a trap, and no sooner after she rests her head, he dumps himself on her back like some kind of haunting spirit.

“Mm, you can say that if you want, but you can’t deny what other people think, Mikarin,” he says in typical lazy cadence, resting his head on her shoulder. She yells, but can’t manage to struggle out of his grasp, a weak anxious twig struggling against a sun allergy-afflicted gremlin masquerading as vampire.

And though Yuzuru wants to be appreciative that Ritsu is backing him up in his own way, he can’t just let him do as he pleases.

“Eh, lemme go. Yer heavy,” Mika whines, but he barely so much as breathes.

“You’re warm, though... and you smell good… I think I’ll fall asleep here.”

“Lunch is gonna end soon enough, don’t make me toss ya,” she threatens. Ritsu pays absolutely no mind, and when Naruko only chastises him mildly since she’s used to him causing trouble, it’s just a matter of time before Yuzuru feels the need to step in.

Putting on a smile not meant to be friendly by any stretch of the imagination, he turns towards them, barely getting Ritsu’s attention.

“Miss Mika asked for you to let go, did she not?”

Without opening his eyes, Ritsu drawls out a low, “Huuuh?”

“I would rather not repeat myself,” he responds. Mika’s mouth is already open to protest, but it’s useless as they continue to ignore her, and her mouth sets into an annoyed line.

“What aura is that? It’s scary, Mikarin might hate you more than me if you act like that,” Ritsu comments, finally acknowledging Yuzuru with the intensity he’s exuding.

Fed up, Mika finally escapes out of Ritsu’s grasp, barely avoiding tossing herself straight on the floor before beelining towards Naruko as a safe haven. It knocks Ritsu over onto the ground instead, and Yuzuru’s almost stunned for once. 

“Now now, both of you, I wanted you to settle this calmly, but you went and bothered Mika this badly, see? You should treat a lady more delicately than this,” she shakes her head, slowly rubbing Mika’s back while Mika’s arms are wrapped around her middle, her face hidden.

“Not a lady,” she mumbles, and Naruko looks even more unimpressed.

Of course, Mao chooses that moment to return to class, sliding open the door and then flinching at everyone’s sudden gaze on him. With Ritsu still on the floor, it doesn’t take him long to realize whatever mischief must’ve just happened. There’s no time for immediate recourse when their teacher shows up almost right after, though, and Mao only manages to grumpily usher Ritsu off the floor and back into his seat.

Yuzuru spends the rest of class contemplating how exactly he’d like to murder Ritsu for both latching onto Mika and also ultimately keeping him from finishing his lunch because of it. 

 

\-- -

Ending off the day, Mika’s the one on class duty this time, and Yuzuru sticks around to help with cleaning. Thinking back to the incident from earlier, he doesn’t feel that bad about it since Ritsu started it after all, but he can’t help think there must’ve been a better way to handle the situation. He also can’t deny that “Ritsu started it,” is anything but a child’s excuse.

The air between them is silent, the two of them the only people left in the classroom. Naruko had already left to practice for an upcoming event, dragging Ritsu with her, and everyone else also had their multitude of responsibilities. Now, there’s only the sound of Mika clearing off the chalkboard, then trying to clap dust out of the erasers.

She doesn’t manage too well, and Yuzuru watches her struggle and cough at the window for about a minute before walking over to relieve her of it. He startles her at first, wordlessly reaching his hands over hers, until it becomes apparent what he’s trying to do. 

“Sorry ‘bout that, Yukkun. I guess I’m still no good at this,” she says as she takes a step back, searching for something else to take care of. “Why’re ya even here again, ya can’t be this free all the time.”

“We won’t be spending the entire evening here, will we?” He asks, and she looks back at him with annoyance, then seems to decide it’s not worth it.

“Guess not…” 

“Hey, Yukkun, I’ve been wonderin’... at lunch, what was with that? I know the two a ya are like that sometimes, but then why’d ya hafta do that with me in the middle.”

“If I’m bein’ honest, I thought better of ya.”

In the time since he’d transferred and gotten to know Mika, his demeanor had eventually softened towards her, but now the aura around him is chilly, furthered by his expression that’s now politely sterile, completely detached. 

“Then perhaps you shouldn’t have.”

Mika’s tentative expression falters, but briefly picks up again.

“Eh? Are ya jus’ bein’ sarcastic again-” She starts, but she must’ve understood that wasn’t the case because she clamps her mouth shut, then clenches her fist. She relaxes her hand, then tenses again, like trying to release desperate energy.

“I know y’can be rude sometimes, but... ya still normally treat me well, so don’tcha think I have a right ta be annoyed at ya over this?” Mika manages, starting out small, but by the end her voice is much more steady, her gaze leveled at him to match.

“You can certainly feel annoyed if you wish, though I’m not sure how that is my fault.”

Her tenseness dispels somewhat from that, as she confronts his now frigid air.

“Don’t… don’t gimme that kinda attitude!” She crosses her arms. “I don’t like lecturin’, or bein’ mad or nothin’, but ya suddenly feel like a different person.”

“I’m the same as I’ve always been, so I’m unsure why you’re currently this upset.”

Mika drops her arms back down to her sides, clinging to the end of her worn uniform sleeves.

“The Yukkun I know… offers ta help with laundry, and lets me borrow his shoulder ta talk about difficult things, and follows along in the pourin’ rain to bring a lost cat home.” 

“But now… Why’re ya actin’ like ya don’t care? It wasn’t that big a deal, but yer bein’ real awful now.”

“Awful?” He pauses. For a moment, the accusing word hangs in the air, open-ended. But then Yuzuru opens his mouth again.

“I see. I’m saddened this is how you view my efforts.” He moves to take a step away. 

“Dont’cha leave- What effort are ya talkin’ about? I know yer not clueless enough ta think there’s no problem puttin’ me in the middle a’ some kinda spat with Ritsu.”

“And I know you aren’t clueless enough to believe I only choose my actions while thinking of your best interests.”

Before Yuzuru can reach for the door, she manages a step towards him. That wouldn’t be significant in itself, had she not also reached out to pull him back just the barest amount by his arm. She really does have a surprising amount of guts.

“I don’t believe ya, so I won’t letcha go until... ya stop this... and apologize.” Her voice is shaky, wavering in her words.

“Since you refuse to understand- I have nothing to apologize for.”

It’s almost as if his statement surprises her, and she lets her hold go slack somewhat. Not that it matters, since Mika’s strength couldn’t hope to even come close to besting Yuzuru’s. Mostly, the fact that she’s going this far is intriguing in itself, despite the situation.

Yuzuru’s focus is drawn away from her uncharacteristic hold on his arm when she starts speaking again.

“This isn’t jus’ me bein’ upset over nothin’! And I know what I heard and saw…”

Pointedly, Yuzuru takes back his arm, though there’s not a lot of effort needed since she had mostly let go as she spoke. 

She doesn’t bother trying to stop him again, and he internally sighs, hoping this is enough for her to finally clue in.

“If you’ll excuse me,” he finishes, bowing slightly, a disconnect from the complicated tension swirling between them both. 

\---

When Yuzuru makes his way to the student council, Tori’s having fun spinning the new first year around into doing work, instead of being twisted around by flattery like usual. However, it’s apparent that he’s unsettled when he goes to put some documents together, and Tori doesn’t take long prodding at him, and then eventually kicking him out for “disruptive paper stapling.” 

In the end he gets stuck in an empty practice room, going over basics he doesn’t need to, trying to keep the remnants of Mika’s wavering voice at bay.


	4. Chapter Four

The next time Yuzuru sees Naruko, she’s not her usual bubbly self. If anything, it’s the opposite, as she pulls him from the hall into an empty classroom before so much as a greeting. 

“Why are you trying to push Mika away, so suddenly?” She asks after shutting the door, making sure no one else is around. 

“Is that how it seems to you, Miss Narukami?” He asks in return, and it’s equal parts incredulous and a genuine question. Both because he hadn’t thought of it that way, and when he considers it he can’t refute it fully, but the possibility is embarrassing. 

“I can’t say I know what’s going on in your head, to act like that when she never meant any harm... is it because I’ve been bothering you?” Her tone suddenly drops off, and it catches Yuzuru by surprise. 

Though she’d been talking to him full on, she leans back against the wall now, her hands clasped in front of her as she stares down. 

“I felt like I was getting the right idea, that you were glad to spend time with Mika, but was I wrong?” 

He weighs the question, but it’s silly to him. If that were the issue, he would’ve made it obvious that he’d rather avoid going along with her hints and meddling. It could’ve been to get them closer in the general sense, but Naruko’s intentions were far too clear. The only oblivious party is Mika herself. 

That didn’t really matter after their recent fight, though. 

“It was not ‘suddenly’, but a result of her getting a misguided impression of me,” he answers instead, but it does the opposite of appease Naruko, who pushes off the wall and crosses her arms. 

“Oh, don’t give me that,” she starts with annoyance, but it feels heavier than that. “I’m not so kind as to expect the best from you, but I do know that Mika trusts you enough to confide in you.” 

Naruko pauses, and he assumes it’s to give him a chance to explain himself, provide some excuse. But he’s silent with nothing to add, so she continues. 

“... Tell me directly, Yuzuru, do you like her?” 

Though Yuzuru could easily throw off any threat Naruko poses to him, now he feels that if he missteps then she would very well murder him. 

“Miss Mika is a treasured classmate of mine, yes.” 

That wasn’t the context her question was in, but the danger he feels coming from Naruko recedes some. 

“I shouldn’t have to say this, but don’t abuse Mika’s trust. She might not forgive you, and I certainly won’t if you don’t make an effort to fix this,” she finishes, uncrossing her arms. What “fix this” particularly entails, he’s not sure, but he assumes it starts with apologizing. 

“I’ll keep that in mind, Miss Narukami,” he answers. It’s clear she isn’t sure whether to take his words at face value, or as thinly veiled sarcasm, but she allows it in the end. 

It’s even clearer that he should take this seriously when even Tori later comments for him to stop pouting and dragging down the mood of the room. He couldn’t fall so far to be lectured by two completely unrelated people in one day, especially when one of those people is Tori Himemiya. 

\---

The following week or so is tense, mainly palpable friction between Yuzuru and Mika seeping into the rest of their classroom. 

It’s actually reasonably calm in the meantime, but Yuzuru doesn’t get the impression that it’s better this way. He could say that even Mao wishes it would go back to him being their teacher’s saving grace, but they all know his tendencies by now. 

Rectifying things with Mika wouldn’t be too simple, if she didn't forgive him, but at least he has a better sense that he should adjust his mindset. He’s distracted from his thoughts when Tori calls for him, asking for assistance with another student council thing, along with Mao. They deal with that quickly, but then he gets stuck discussing the next live performance Fine has planned, and in the back of his mind Yuzuru questions if there’ll ever be a true chance to talk to Mika anytime soon. 

That question doesn’t take long getting answered when Anzu shows up, at first sidetracking Tori from their conversation for several entirely too long moments with business about another unit’s budget. He may as well be the air itself, as Anzu doesn’t spare even a glance in his direction the whole time. 

That is, until she finishes her conversation with Tori, and he wishes he’d kept being invisible. The tone of her voice is cheery, and it’s a hundred times worse than if she sounded strict or angry with him. 

“Hey, Yuzuru, I need your help with something. Is it alright if I talk to you a moment?” She asks, and while Tori easily passes him off, he can’t read her at all, and that scares him even more than when Naruko confronted him. 

As they stop further down the hallway, Yuzuru dares to ask, “Are you here to give me a lecture as well?” 

She fixes a stare at him. 

“As tempting as that is, I think Naruko did that well enough,” Anzu responds in more of a serious tone now. “But it’s funny to me how that’s your first response.” 

“I’m sure you don’t actually feel it’s funny,” he states, the simplest observation he could make. 

“It’s nice to know you understand that much... Still, I said I wasn’t going to lecture you, and I’m not. I think you already know what you have to do, and I believe in you.” 

Her words seem like praise, but he can read them for what they really are; it’s a challenge. He really should’ve held back in his argument with Mika. 

“All I came to tell you is... if you have time, Mika’s in the handicraft’s club room right now.” She takes a step away, waving the papers in her hands. 

“I have to go return this to the unit it belongs to. Also, don’t think this means I support you over Mika. Technically, I support both of you, objectively, for you to make up and get along. But...” She pauses, and Yuzuru really doesn’t need further explanation. 

“-If Mika forgives you, then it’s fine,” Anzu finishes, sighing, probably about too many things. She leaves not too long after to deal with her producer work, and Yuzuru figures he should follow suit on his own path. 

\--- 

As Yuzuru walks up to the door of the handcrafts room, for once he feels a restricting sense of apprehension. Even if he might be interested in Mika, more than he should be, it’s strange that knocking on the door and confronting this issue feels so daunting. 

When he hears the drawl of her Kyoto accent saying to come in, it takes a moment for him to finally open the door. 

What’s even stranger now is that, as Mika looks directly at Yuzuru for the first time in a while, his chest suddenly aches. 

Trying to distract himself by looking around the room, he’s struck first by the collection of stuffed toys in one corner of it. Some seem in worse disrepair than others, some with more refined stitching, others with eyes made of buttons in contrast to what was the original plastic eye. They’re eerie, but he already knew of them as a hobby of Mika’s, and it fits her completely. 

In another side of the room, mostly fabric is stored there, ribbons and lace and various other material taking up too much space. Mika seems at home here, and there’s even one such stuffed animal lying on the main table, apparently in the middle of a touch up, some thread and fabric set beside it. 

She ignores all of it to turn and stand by the window, and he wonders what she’s been thinking since the last time they spoke. Obviously she’d told Naruko and Anzu some things, but to what extent he doesn't know. 

It’s understandable to be protective over Mika, however, and he regrets being the villain despite his initial agitation towards her words. 

“Nnn, this’s weird, isn’t it?” Mika starts, trying to sound nonchalant, but it’s easy to tell she’s struggling to get her thoughts out. 

“Naru and Anzu say yer the one who was mean, but when I think ‘bout it I kinda jus’ feel like I was bein’ silly and overreactin’.” 

The entire time she talks her gaze is towards the floor. He thinks he really doesn’t have the right to regret causing this situation. 

“You’re being awfully nice about this, Miss Mika, could it be you’re employing the clever logic of ‘killing with kindness’?” He asks, and it throws her off balance. 

“H-huh, I’m not tryna kill ya with whatever kinda nonsense that is. I wanted to be mad at ya, and I am, y’know! Even after when I tried ta tell myself not t’be, and I give ya this chance, and yer still like this!” 

After she finishes, her chest rising and falling, she seems surprised at herself. 

“... Sorry, Yukkun. I didn’t mean ta yell.” 

“Your concern is appreciated, but I fear it’s misplaced,” Yuzuru says, walking closer to the table with the unfinished toy and carefully inspecting its imperfections. “I would rather you be mad, if that’s how you feel. If you’re angry enough to yell, you can let that anger out as well.” 

“But I don’t wanna yell. Or be mad at ya...” she trails off, tugging at her sleeve. 

“I may have misheard, but didn’t you say you wanted to be mad?” He asks, trying not to seem like he’s being a smartass. 

Mika barely looks up at him, mouth gaping for a moment at her obvious contradiction in logic, and she stutters and tries to order a rebuttal. 

“That’s... S’like, what ya did hurt, and I am mad about it, but I was feelin’ like I shouldn’t. But at the end of it I didn’t wanna be hurt or mad. I jus’... wanted things t’be alright.” As she finishes, Yuzuru looks up to get a look at her expression, but all he can focus on are the tears building up slightly in her eyes. 

“I dunno if that even makes any sense-” She cuts off when Yuzuru steps in front of her, slowly reaching his hand up in case she wants to step away. To his honest surprise, she doesn’t, and he wipes the beginnings of her tears away. It doesn’t stop her from whining at him, though. 

“Hey, I didn’t say ya could come over here-” 

“You didn’t say I couldn’t, though.” 

Pouting, she forces herself to look away, but can’t help glancing back at him. 

“Well, I don’t care if ya do that, it’s not gonna make me forgive ya.” 

He smiles then, and steps back to let her feel less pressured. 

“Miss Mika, would you listen to my apology?” 

“... Fine, but it better not be somethin’ weird or sarcastic. I’ll kick ya out if it is.” 

“It would be best if, in the future, you refrained from expecting much better than I am capable of-” 

Mika glares at him, crossing her arms. “Yer testin’ me.” 

“-However, I understand that I should have avoided putting you in an awkward situation against your wishes, and I apologize for my behaviour afterwards.” 

“... How long did it take thinkin’ up that?” 

Yuzuru doesn’t answer, only smiling mysteriously, and Mika just shakes her head. 

It's quiet between them for a long moment. Though he's not one to excessively explain himself, there's still an unsteady air to Mika that makes him want to.

Mika breaks the silence before he can embarrass himself. 

“Ya really scared me, y’know. Is... everythin' okay now?” She mumbles, moving over to fiddle with the stuffed toy in progress. 

“The verdict rests solely in your hands if you wish to forgive me,” he replies, and she lets the arm of the battered creature go. 

“I can’t stay mad at ya, ‘specially after yer apology. But ya better not let it happen again.” 

He’s glad for the obvious relief in Mika’s resulting expression, and the lessened tension in her posture, but most of all, glad for repairing at least some of what he’d caused. 

Something else nags in the back of his mind though, a question that’s been eating at him through this whole ordeal, but he assumed it better left unspoken; if he was the only one who got in trouble, first for trying to defend Mika from Ritsu clinging to her, and then for acting badly afterwards... did that mean Ritsu Sakuma had been more apologetic than him?


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, i didn't really feel like postponing the final chapter so- this is the last of it! in summation of this fic, yuzuru drives me crazy, yuzumika ruined my life despite having like 0.2 canon content, the end.

Naruko’s meddling knows no bounds, apparently, since barely another week after the reconciliation with Mika, she invites Yuzuru out to a local festival. It’s convenient since Tori planned to go with her classmate friends anyways, complaining that she didn’t want him shadowing them like a stalker ghost. 

But, with this he has no excuse to reject Naruko’s request, unavoidable since he brought it up first when she mentioned plans for the upcoming weekend. Honestly, it must’ve been a trap that he walked directly into without thinking.

He’d have to remember to be more careful in the future. Especially concerning the fact that, as demonstrated many times, Naruko doesn’t shy away from trying to stick him together with Mika in the most painfully obvious ways. While they had mostly settled things, he’d rather not force it. 

… Or so he’d feel if he was being more reasonable, but the thought of spending time with Mika, and enjoying the food and festivities has a nice ring to it. 

It’s evening when they arrive, the sky already darkening in streaks of purple and pink. Tori runs away almost immediately to find Hajime and the others, and Yuzuru forces himself to stay in place, looking for his own group.

“Yu… Yukkun?” He hears a tentative voice from behind him, and turns to see Mika by herself, clutching a small drawstring bag and averting her gaze as soon as he faces her. 

In true festival fashion, she’s wearing a yukata, blue with an intricate pattern of butterflies. There’s also a matching butterfly clip holding back a portion of her bangs, her hair pulled back into a low side ponytail. It leaves her face in full view despite her trying to look away bashfully, and he can even notice some light makeup, probably Naruko’s doing.

He had opted for simple casual clothes, pants and a light t-shirt. Maybe it would’ve been better to match with his own Yukata, but there’s no point in regretting it now.

“Sorry that Naru forced ya here, prob’ly,” Mika starts, mumbled a bit while fiddling with the bag in her hands.

“This situation doesn’t feel much different from before,” he remarks, a gleam in his eyes, and Mika trades a huff for a look of confusion, before he continues. “That time you were struggling with the laundry… Miss Narukami was bothering me then, yes?”

It takes a minute for it to obviously dawn on her, and in embarrassment she walks past Yuzuru towards one of the nearby food stalls. She stands there behind a few people already waiting, and Yuzuru joins her, trying not to instigate anything, but it’s difficult.

“Miss Narukami most likely bothered you as well, but if you don’t wish to be here, then…” He trails, hoping to catch her understanding, but she doesn’t react. Maybe that’s her hint, actually, and he’s the one not getting it. Usually she’s more straightforward though, so he continues to wait along with her.

“Forgive me, I forgot to mention you look lovely tonight,” Yuzuru says, switching gears, and she makes the mistake of glancing at him, then away, coughing awkwardly.

There’s the sense that they’re being watched, and Yuzuru would be safe in betting that it’s Naruko, and possibly with Anzu tagging along too. That bet is solidified when he spots them out of the corner of his eye, hiding amongst some of the crowd. In any other situation it’d seem like they’re attending the same as anyone else, but this is too obvious with them glancing over without any hint of subtlety. 

When it’s her turn, Mika steps forward asking for takoyaki, and digs a few coins out of her bag. Her face lights up as the stall person hands her a tray, and she immediately stuffs one in her mouth.

Finally, she turns back to Yuzuru, still munching on it.

“Want one?” She asks, holding out another piece on a toothpick. It’s very tempting to take the opportunity to dip down and eat it right from her grasp, and to get the inevitable reaction, but Yuzuru exercises some much needed restraint and accepts it normally.

After what must’ve amounted to a peace offering in that takoyaki, Mika leads him to a game booth and manages to outdo him and win. All it gets her is some weird local mascot keychain, but winning against Yuzuru is its own satisfying reward, and she has a smug expression as they move over towards a goldfish booth. He can only think it’s too bad he’s losing on purpose. 

“Think ya can beat me at this one?” Mika asks, grin widening like she can already see the future where she’s got a goldfish in a bag. 

He returns the smile, accepting the challenge wholeheartedly. This time though, there’s no winner other than the game itself, Mika cursing her bad luck while Yuzuru is unaffected.

While he wants to win too, it seems like this is pride related to her hometown at stake. They leave not long after, trying to avoid spending even more money, and Mika whines typically.

“I really wanted ta bring one home, so annoyin’,” she complains, and it only takes one lapse in focus for her to stumble over her own feet, losing a sandal. Yuzuru reaches to help stabilize her, and she grabs his sleeve. With her weight against him, she manages to avoid falling over.

“Nn, sorry ‘bout that Yukkun,” she says, now trying to balance on one leg. The sandal had gotten kicked off somewhere nearby in the crowd, and it doesn’t seem like she’s having an easy time of it.

“Do you want me to find your sandal for you, Miss Mika?” Yuzuru asks, finding more humour in the situation than anything, but she’s still clinging to him. She nods, trying to scan the ground for it past many pairs of feet, and unfortunately Yuzuru’s newfound restraint is already fading. It also helps that their amateur stalkers seem to have disappeared.

Yelping in surprise as Yuzuru picks her up, basically holding her in a princess carry, Mika barely thinks to do much else besides panic.

“E-eh, what’re ya doin’, put me down,” she demands, voice high. “How’re ya gonna compensate me if someone sees-”

“I can assure you that won’t happen. It would be more of a problem if you injured your foot.”

Though Mika tries to protest more, she ends up burying her face behind her hands and groaning in defeat. Yuzuru thinks to himself that this is going about as well as he expected.

Maybe Mika won’t hate him too much when this is over, he hopes, getting out of the way of the main area to find a bench to sit her down on. The search leads them further away into the park, amongst trees and shrubs and others avoiding the main crowd. As it gets quieter, she slowly moves her hands from her face, settling the bag in her lap while wearing a pout that’s probably going to last a month. 

They’re lucky enough to find a free spot to sit soon after. Now free from Yuzuru’s grasp and sitting on the bench, Mika clenches her hands in her lap, face red up to her ears, and it takes a moment for her to speak again.

“Yukkun… how’re we gonna find my sandal like this?” She asks, tone dark and accusing rather than a genuine question.

“I have it handled, Miss Mika. I’ll go look for it now,” he reassures her, but she’s not comforted in the least.

“Yer so- ya didn’t need to pick me up and bring me over here in the first place, I coulda just took my other sandal off or somethin’-”

“It would be worse to let you get hurt in my company. I’ll return soon,” he says, taking a step to walk away before she can continue with any further complaints. Even if she’s frustrated, he understands, but... 

“Y’aren’t even considerin’ how I feel-’” She cuts off with a hiccup, stopping Yuzuru in his tracks. When he turns back, he sees Mika with the back of her hand up to her mouth. His own expression tenses; he doesn’t want to genuinely upset her like he already had. 

Even though she’s stubborn and clueless and a disaster… well, that’d be more reason to treat her with some care. He weighs speaking his thoughts, or leaving to solve the issue without a word, wondering which result would be better or if they wouldn’t both be worse regardless. 

“At this rate it does seem like my talent is to upset you… I apologize.”

Mika moves the hand from her mouth to wipe at the corner of her eye, getting a handle on her voice as she responds. “S’okay, just… ask before ya do it again. And… sorry but this night’s prob’ly my fault.” 

“Ah, does that mean you’ll allow me to carry you again in the future?”

Mika stands up to punch Yuzuru in the shoulder harmlessly, but there’s a small smile on her face, and he pauses to admire it before continuing.

“Though I am curious, what do you mean by ‘your fault’?”

Mika turns away, sitting down again and scratching her cheek sheepishly like she hadn’t intended on revealing that. 

“S’just… remember when we all went on that trip last year…”

She trails off, obviously wanting Yuzuru to fill in the blanks himself, but he purposefully stays quiet hoping to drag what he wants to hear out of Mika’s own words.

“Anyways, that was awhile ago, but I told Naru that I wish I coulda got closer ta everyone...” Mika stops one more time, though he already knows that she’s not expecting him to speak anything for her. “I told her I wanted ta get ta know ya better.”

It gives Yuzuru some relief to learn that it wasn’t Naruko interfering too unnecessarily, and he thinks maybe he shouldn’t have doubted her so much. 

Before he can actually respond, a whine sounds in the sky, followed by a loud bang and flash of colour. It surprises both of them, but Yuzuru only spares a glance to see the first firework going off. There isn’t the best visibility past the trees above them, so instead he looks back towards Mika. He’s fortunate to catch her awed expression as she watches the following ones launch into the sky, her mouth in the shape of an ‘o’ before he catches her eye, and she grins wide at him.

“I’m lucky, really, I got ta spend a night at this festival with ya, and now we’re watchin’ these fireworks together.”

“You flatter me, Miss Mika,” he says, and while those words don’t seem to impress her much, her excitement doesn’t wane at all. 

“Yer stiff as always. Imagine if that’s all I went around talkin’ like ‘Master Fu-Fushi’-” She cuts off, scrunching her face and coughing, and pointedly avoids looking at Yuzuru again.

The finale goes off then, causing Mika to jump. Yuzuru laughs at her lightly, and she finally turns to give him a glimpse of her displeasure. It lapses when she looks back into the sky, the final sparks of the show burning out, and Yuzuru can sense a kind of longing in her gaze. All that’s left now are the backdrop of stars.

“D’ya think we have any hope findin’ my sandal,” she interrupts, standing up with her bare foot on the dirt ground. Yuzuru avoids being too forceful in getting her to sit back down. 

“Is that your way of asking to be carried?” Yuzuru tries instead, a teasing smile on his face, but aside from an annoyed look, Mika doesn’t react badly this time. 

She just frowns, unsure of what to answer. 

“I don’t want ya ta do that… Actually, it’s fine, can ya go find my sandal fer me?”

Yuzuru accepts the task without further issue, making sure Mika sits again before leaving. 

It doesn’t take long to find it being held by one of the shopkeepers. Apparently, it had been kicked all the way under their table, and how she managed that on accident he has no clue. He retraces his steps back through the path to where Mika’s waiting, her hands curled around the front of the bench as she leans forward, continuing to look up at the sky.

He lets her be in peace for another moment before speaking, tapping the sandal against the top of her head. That only serves in causing her to scream, reflexively jumping up and throwing a sloppy but quick punch in his direction. He easily deflects it, holding her fist just away from his face, and in the next moment she realizes it’s him, not wasting another second pulling back.

“What didja do that for? I thought a ghost was comin’ ta take my soul,” she complains in complete seriousness. Even after getting spooked, she’s obviously happy now, quick to grab her sandal and sit back on the bench to slip it back on. Yuzuru stops her before she can, though, and she looks up at him in confusion.

“Ignoring the fact that you tried to take me out just now… allow me,” he says, taking the sandal, and her happiness drops down to annoyance. 

“Eh, what’re ya-” She barely manages before he kneels down, and then she can tell exactly what he’s trying to do with unconcealed amusement. “Y’aren’t some kinda servant ta me or anythin’, that- that’s weird, just give it back.”

Tilting his head up to meet her eyes, she can’t hold it for long without turning away, a blush spreading on her cheeks. If it’s a battle of two wills, she has a good stubborn streak for sure, but Yuzuru has too much experience to let it bother him.

“Is that fine, Miss Mika?” He asks after slipping the sandal on her foot, not having made any move to stand back up which is all the more infuriating to Mika.

“Yukkun… yer the worst, y’know,” she responds. Her face darkens even more with mortification when a few kids run by, and one yells with laughter about there being a proposal. Yuzuru stands up, looking after them. He barely turns back when Mika stomps past him, and how annoyed she is from it is enough to make him huff a laugh at her.

“Laugh all ya want, but ya’d be lucky ta find a girl dumb enough ta ever get engaged t’ya,” she throws at him.

“If it was ever my intention to marry someone, perhaps that would be true,“ he retorts, and it gives pause to her heavy steps.

“... Sorry ‘bout that, Yukkun.” Her tone is heavy, and he tilts his head with curiosity.

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

“Well, it felt rude after I said it… I’m gonna find one last snack,” she continues forward, returning them to where the festivities actually are.

They both end up spotting Naruko and Anzu further down, and as Mika’s about to call out to them, Yuzuru covers her mouth and signals her to be quiet. They manage to hover relatively close and out of view, and though Mika can’t seem to make out what the two are saying, Yuzuru’s grateful he can.

“-lost them awhile ago, actually. But who’s the one that got distracted by masks and then charms and other things?”

“This one’s for beauty, you know, it’s very important to me.”

“I don’t get why you think you’d need a charm like that.”

Yuzuru starts to wonder how they can deal with leaving things like this, as Naruko teases Anzu for insinuating she doesn’t need a beauty charm when she’s already beautiful, and it inevitably lends them to an awkward silence and abrupt change of topic, walking away. 

At the same time, with Mika beside him on a meddling, orchestrated ‘date’, he isn’t really in a position to judge. At least she’s clueless enough that she doesn’t think of it that way, only citing her admission about wanting to be closer with her classmates. Despite his teasingly vague romantic gestures, she only gets flustered and fed up with him, and that’s probably for the best.

Mika whines again about her two best friends, full irony in her complaining.

“Do you wish to follow and join them?” Yuzuru asks, but she doesn’t even stop to think before she shakes her head.

“I’d just be interruptin’ them as a third wheel, and... I’m here tonight ta hang out with ya, aren’t I?” She beams then, straightening up from their eavesdropping stance and nudging him.

“Though I kinda ruined it losin’ my sandal and sidetrackin’ us and gettin’ upset and all.”

“It’s humbling to know you’re capable of self-awareness,” Yuzuru comments, and Mika swings her bag to hit him in the arm.

“Yer s’posed ta say, ‘No, I was to blame for that, Miss Mika’,” she mocks, crossing her arms, and he only smiles an apology. It causes her to stalk off, but she quickly gets her attention drawn back to the festival stalls. 

Following along behind her, Yuzuru’s content in watching the shine of her eyes come back amongst the stalls. The light from countless lanterns is a soft backdrop glowing against her dark hair, and he admires the charm in her expression as she laughs to point out some ridiculous looking prize to him. This may all very well be a mistake, but he can’t deny the warmth of Mika’s voice, unintentionally beckoning him towards her.


End file.
